One More Night
by Halogazer
Summary: One-shot. Sage/OC. With the final battle with Talpa fast approaching, Sage decides if it is to be their last moment together, it shall be spent right.


**One More Night**

Sage nudged branches out of his way as he crawled through the brush. He came to the clearing, the gentle splash of the waterfall calming to his senses. He could smell the refreshing mist as the lake drank its fill from the falls.

And he saw her, legs crossed while she sat motionless atop a boulder. Her eyes were closed in thoughtful meditation. He was careful not to disturb her, certain she was not yet aware of his presence; otherwise, she would have surely stirred by now.

He stopped in front of her, staring almost longingly as she seemed to breathe through what he could only discern as thoughts meant to be undisturbed. With the Dynasty being as close as they were, he knew her past was pulling at her, tugging at invisible strings to urge her back into a life she was once forced into.

He swore he would never let that happen to her again.

The bearer of Halo drew in a deep breath, releasing it in a soundless wisp. Her eyes suddenly opened, not at all surprised to find him standing before her. Perhaps she knew he was there from the moment he stepped through the brush.

Violet met teal in an intense lock, unblinking and unyielding. "This place is calming," she finally whispered. "I can see why you like it here. It's a nice escape."

"But it's not a far enough escape from the Dynasty for you, is it, Syara?" he asked, his voice near to a croak.

She released a sigh, lowering her gaze to the lake pooling around them, concentrating on the gentle ripples waving against the mossy edges of the ground. "I will never be free of the Dynasty until Talpa is gone, Sage," she said. "I thought becoming a Ronin Warrior would free me of him, but in fact, it has only amplified his presence within me." She pressed a palm against the center of her chest. "I can feel him here, trying to pull me into the darkness again. Sometimes I fear he will succeed, and he will pull the Cosmos armor along with him."

Sage climbed up onto the boulder next to her, his arm grazing softly against hers. "He won't pull you in," he replied. "You were just a little girl then. You're stronger now."

"So is he," Syara pointed out, turning her head to look at him. The teal of her eyes swam in sadness. "He has more followers than he did then. He has more darkness and hatred to feed off of. While I have grown in strength and power, he has too. I'm just… worried what will happen when we fight him for the final time. It's coming to a close. I can feel it. He is planning something, Sage. He means to destroy us until there is nothing left but ruin in his wake."

Sage rested a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn to him. "We'll all be fighting together. If he wants you, he's going to have to go through all of us first. That's not going to be easy."

Syara smiled weakly, breathing a relieved chuckle at his vow. "I appreciate that, Sage." She shook her head, groaning in aggravation. "I know this isn't like me. I don't try to focus on the negative in anything. I've always tried to work for the best outcome possible, but his voice is getting stronger in my head. I can almost feel his hand grasping my heart. It's unnerving."

"He's not the one grasping your heart," Sage said knowingly, his voice firm. The hand on her shoulder trailed slowly up her neck, leaving a heated path until he reached her cheek. "I have your heart, and I'm not losing you to him. I would never let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

Syara closed her eyes, her smile deepening. "That's comforting to know." She leaned against his side, laying her head on his shoulder. "I know I won't be alone. I know I have everyone else worrying about what's going to happen. I know I have you, Sage."

"You'll always have me," he said with a frown, his mind suddenly flooded with unwanted images of Talpa and the invisible chains he continued to hold over the wheat-haired woman beside him. He swore he would break them. He would do whatever needed to be done to grant Syara her everlasting freedom over the darkness the Dynasty Overlord weaved.

"Anubis was all I had when I was part of the Dynasty," Syara murmured, causing Sage to look down upon her. "He was under the spell even more than I was, and yet, when it was just the two of us, I saw the compassion in him that Talpa could not erase. He watched over me. He cared for me."

"He's your brother. He loves you," Sage pointed out. "Nothing can erase love, especially love between family."

"I suppose you're right," Syara agreed with a meek nod. "Still, Talpa believed he could do anything. He believed, and still believes, that darkness can win over anything."

"More than anyone, I know that's not true," Sage pointed out. "His darkness will do nothing against us. We fight for everyone, for freedom. He will not win. He can't. I know what that means if he does, and I can't bear to think about what we'll all lose." He leaned close to her, his breath heating the shell of her ear. "I know if he wins, that means he'll take you with him. I won't let that happen."

Syara moaned contently, satisfied to hear his resolve on the matter. It comforted her to the very core of her being, knowing she had him to watch over her as well. "Thank you, Sage. It means so much that you're putting yourself in danger for me." Her face lowered and she held back a whimper. "But I can't let him hurt you on my account. I could never live with myself if he did."

Sage gazed upon her for a moment before cupping a hand over her cheek, nudging her to look at him. He swallowed, and instead of offering her assurance that he would not die in battle, he closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth against hers.

It was like molten fire grazing against silk. Capturing rogue locks of hair into his hands, Sage intensified their lip-lock, threatening to steal the sweet breath from her lungs in the process. Tasting her, like creamy vanilla, was a surrender he'd been waiting for his whole life.

He just wished it wasn't because of the dangerous situation they were in.

He pulled away first, sensing her need for air, and he gazed upon her dazed expression. Cherry climbed upon her cheeks and weight lowered her lids in a seductive manner that could have easily pulled him into a passionate, mindless trance.

And he watched the tears falling down her colored cheeks, her shoulders giving way to soundless sobs. "What if this is it for us?" she asked, her voice strained. "What if we don't have the chance to live a life together? What if—"

"Stop." Sage slid his thumbs under her eyes, rubbing away the pesky tears that tainted her perfection. "Life is too short to dwell on the possibilities, especially if they are of a negative nature." He leaned against her, rubbing the tip of his nose over hers. "But if you are concerned that tonight is all we will have, then I will be sure we spend it right."

Syara pulled away from him, her eyes wide in surprise, and she watched as his fingers slowly trailed down his shirt, unfastening every button carefully, steadily. She felt her heart clamber in her chest as the cotton shied away from his pale chest, the sunlight kissing the creamy flesh from high above.

The shirt fell from the boulder in which they were perched upon, and Sage's hands traveled down to his belt buckle. Smaller hands stopped him, causing him to look up in question at the chestnut-haired woman.

"Wait. I… I want to touch you, if that's okay." The blush in her cheeks revealed a shyness Sage had never seen before, not in the normally fiery woman.

Sage nodded once and rested his hands at his sides. "Of course. Whatever pleases you." As he said the words, he felt heat rise up in his face, as well as a certain part of his body that suddenly wished to be made known. He watched her throat contract as she swallowed, her eyes traveling down to his belt buckle, and even lower still. He couldn't stop the smile overtaking his face.

Syara leaned forward, her fingers grazing over the cool metal of the buckle keeping Sage's pants tight over his waist. She undid it slowly, careful not to show her nervousness. She cursed that part of herself, knowing it was not who she was, and she hardly wished to show that weakness to the man who she loved so dearly.

"Are you sure you wish to do this here?" Sage suddenly asked, causing her hands to stop so she could look up at him. "There is a more proper way of doing this."

Syara smiled, pleased with his concern. She leaned into him, pressing her lips against his in a soft taunt. "You are here. That's all I need."

Sage quickly took note to the teasing gleam in her eyes, and knew that she was really all right with this. He nodded once, watching her fingers resume their smooth work of unzipping his pants, loosening the tension that seemed to build to maddening heights at the middle of his body.

He closed his eyes, the sensation of Syara's soft palms smoothing their way down his legs, removing him of his trousers, downright decadent. He shifted himself out of them and opened his eyes, watching her own widen in interest and surprise as they trailed down his stomach to the point of his arousal pressing against his white boxers.

But he was patient. He reached for her, sliding his hands under the hem of her shirt, pulling it up with his fingers and over her head. He tossed the garment aside, lost somewhere with his own clothing, and moved for her jeans. Showing the same care she had, he unbuttoned and unzipped her, sifting the article of clothing down her slender hips.

And his eyes never left hers.

He hovered over her, much like the trees did over them, and slanted his mouth atop hers, tongue probing against her lips. They split open, allowing entrance into her mouth. He smoothed his tongue over her teeth, curled over her own tongue, tasting her delectable sweetness he could only expect from her.

Sage felt her shift under him, her hands folding behind her back. In short seconds, her bra loosened from her breasts and slid away from her body. He couldn't help but stare upon her for a moment, her nipples dark and perched hard, almost begging to be touched, tasted. He didn't even realize he'd licked his lips.

He trailed fingers along her sides, catching the thin strings of her panties. He felt her jerk just slightly, the tips of his fingers sparking flames against her already hot skin. The fabric teased her as it glided down her legs past her knees until he gently removed them from her dainty ankles and tossed them carelessly over his shoulder.

He could not stop himself but stare at her, capturing every last bit of her. The sun's rays practically glimmered off her body as if her skin was made of pearl, soft and sleek.

Syara cursed herself when she felt her cheeks burn, watching him take her in as if she were a dessert meant to be devoured. The smoldering look in his eyes could easily melt ice as they reconnected with hers, and she almost forgot how uncomfortable she was becoming in her position atop the large rock.

Sage shook his head, almost to himself, and pressed his mouth against hers before she could ask what troubled him. His lips, warm and pliable as velvet, silenced her inquiry. His arms slid under her knees and back, and he hoisted her against his bare chest.

Yelping in surprise, Syara jerked away from the kiss and snaked her arms quickly around his neck. "What are you doing?"

He said nothing. Instead, he carefully made his way down to the plush grass below, green, lush and an inviting bed in which they could make love in. He eased her down into the shaded grass and quickly blanketed her again, his knee rested in between hers.

Palms gliding in an uncharted journey, Syara relished the smooth skin of his bare back, the soft flaxen strands of hair sprinkling his neck, the rigid muscles that rippled under his arms as he moved over her. She sighed deeply and lifted her head, pressing her lips against his neck. She felt him shudder and swallow against her gentle open-mouthed kisses.

Sage's hand roved her, exploring the smooth valleys and plains that made her body the ultimate vision of perfection. His palm found a breast, molding his palm over it in what he considered an ideal fit. She responded for a moment, moaning and releasing a shuddering breath that dewed his skin for several seconds, before she returned her lips to his neck, moving along the line of his shoulder.

Nerve-endings in her body stood at attention, crying and begging for the soft touch of his fingers at all corners of her flesh. A hand trailed down her body, dipped into the smooth crevice of her novel, before finding its destination between the juncture of her legs.

Syara drew in a hiss of air when she felt his fingers graze over her most intimate region, playfully taunting her with expert fingers. It was as if he was always meant to touch her there, admire her with such gentle, torturous touches.

She rasped his name and gripped his shoulders, her nails threatening to break skin. She spread her knees in an unconscious reaction when a finger slid inside her, slowly reaching towards the hilt of her body. Arching her back, pressing her lower body against his hand, she twisted her head to the side, her heated cheek grazed by cool blades of grass.

A soft breeze swirled about them, between their bodies, through their hair, as Sage's fingers continued their relentless ministrations against her most sensitive area, throwing her into a series of gentle writhes to the silent melody he so expertly weaved, the song only she could hear.

Sage's eyes traveled over her, entranced by her fidgeting as his finger deepened, quickened, inside of her. He felt her inner muscles begin to clamp down around him, and knowing she was drawing close, entered another finger into her depths. She moaned loudly, graciously, and slammed her eyes shut, whimpering for a release that felt far too distant for her comfort.

"Please…" A hand slid away from him and long fingers clenched the grass next to her head, looking for stability in a world that was becoming so pleasantly rocked by something as simple as the thrusts of his fingers.

Sage lowered himself, eyes lidded, and he suckled her earlobe, a content moan vibrating deep in his throat. He increased the speed of his fingers, the friction intensifying as his fingers now moved so deftly inside her, aided by the wetness now there.

His erection throbbed, his patience waning as he wished to bury himself inside of her for all eternity, not bothered by the Dynasty, by Talpa, or the need to protect the part of themselves that became connected to their armors. No, all that mattered to him now was the wheat-haired woman lying naked beneath him, moaning and writhing in an exotic dance.

"Sage. Oh, Sage, I…" A moan bit off her pleading, and her eyes opened, teal now glazed over with temptation answered but not yet fulfilled.

He nodded once, nearly drunk, and pressed his mouth against hers in a lazy kiss. His thumb found the sensitive nub seated above the entrance of her body, fully ripe and throbbing just as badly as his erection was. The top of his thumb grazed against it, causing Syara's body to jerk and a cry to ring out against his lips. Masculine pride satisfied, Sage suckled her bottom lip and rolled the nub back and forth, and added a third finger inside her.

"Sage, oh please, I can't," she whimpered, her head throwing from side to side.

"Yes, you can," he said, his voice low and laced with mounting desire. His lips curled into a satisfactory smirk. "And you will. Let go for me, Syara."

Her lips parted in what she planned to be another rebuttal, but her climax ripped through her like a typhoon, throwing her body into diminutive jerks. She cried out his name in gratitude and arched her hips into his hand as it continued to move against her, helping her ride out the last delicious seconds of her orgasm.

Her body fell to the grass in a heap, exhaustion lagging her limbs with invisible weights. Sage pulled his fingers from her depths and brought them to his mouth, tasting the very essence of her. He watched her, noticing the heave of her chest and the widening of her eyes as he dragged his fingers past his lips.

He bent down and kissed her, sliding his tongue into her mouth. She could taste herself on him. It was oddly pleasing and flickered passion within her belly once more. She felt his stiff erection pressing against her lower stomach, could almost feel the ache pulsing from his body in utter need.

Unhitching her fingers from the grass beneath her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him down until flesh touched heated flesh. He broke off the kiss, staring down at her lovingly, possessively.

"I need you," she whispered, unblinking. The ache between her legs reawakened, more from the smoldering look in his lilac eyes than anything. The man made her melt.

Legs already spread at an ample distance, Sage nestled himself between her thighs and touched his tip to her damp entrance, testing her readiness. He watched her bite down on her bottom lip, and in one slow, long stroke, he entered her.

Drawing air through his teeth, he closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her heat encasing him like warm honey. Every inch he gained felt like a fiery touch of sin, one welcoming and daring to test his control.

Syara's body seized as she felt him slowly push himself through her, aiming to reach for the hilt of her body. But he didn't make it there. Instead, he slowly drew himself out, then back again, giving her the opportunity to adjust to him in her usual emptiness.

She didn't know how she would take it when this moment ended.

"Wrap your legs around me," he suddenly ordered, his voice gentle as the wind wafting around them. He tweaked a nipple with his fingers, forcing her to gasp and moan. She consented to his suggestion and locked her legs around his back. The slightly altered position gave him more room to thrust within her tightness, hoping it would be that much quicker to deliver yet another scintillating climax upon her.

Her body finally accommodated his size and he set a steady pace inside her, pumping to a rhythm that had her gasping for air beneath him. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against the valley between her breasts, lapping the sweetly dewed flesh there. He felt her fingers tangle in his hair, grasping lightly and massaging his scalp.

Syara's body began to curl into his, her panting becoming more frequent and her fingers tightening in his hair. Her second orgasm was mounting quickly, dragging her straight to the precipice. Her fingers jerked from his hair, searing against his shoulders and down his arms.

A groan rumbled in Sage's chest and into his throat. He felt her muscles clenching, pulsing around him, just like they had around his fingers moments earlier. She was getting close already as her hips began meeting his thrusts, urging him faster, deeper, inside.

"Sage… So close…" she murmured, her eyes locking into his. Her brows furrowed, biting her lip as she held back a long moan of pleasure. "Don't stop. Please don't stop."

"I wouldn't think of it," he rasped, shaking his head at the laughable notion. He bent down again, capturing a nipple between his teeth, tugging and suckling with profound care. He listened to her cry out, arching against him in a pleasured waltz. Her writhing intensified, feeling the shudders careening through her very blood. She just needed the right push, and he would see to it.

Snapping his head back, Sage felt his own end rising within him. He had to finish this now, lest he reach his completion before her. He wouldn't have it.

Mouth still clamped over her breast and his body jerking mercilessly into hers, his hand found the swollen nub above their joining and gave it a gentle pinch. Syara released a shrill cry of his name and her body coiled, a slave to the violent orgasm now washing over her like a grand ocean wave.

He felt her release warm over him, and with muscles maddeningly clenching around him, he grunted and followed soon after, his own completion sending his body into pleasant convulsions. His thrusts continued, although at a slow, even pace, to help her ride out every last bit of her climax, milk it of everything it was worth.

Syara's body relaxed against the bed of grass, Sage drifting down atop her like a protective umbrella of warm, dampened skin. His lips found the tender juncture between her neck and shoulder, suckling lazily, his tongue gliding over her quickened pulse.

Sweat dewed and trickled down her temple, her cheek, and dissolved before it could roll down the trail of her neck. She swallowed, her throat parched from crying out and moaning during their vigorous lovemaking.

Falling to his side, Sage wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against him, moving so his mouth pressed gently against her temple.

They lay there for what seemed like hours, frozen in time, exhausted and elated and surrounded by nature. The waterfall behind them proved that time continued on as it poured into the lake. They could taste its mist on their tongues, refreshing and energizing them.

"You all right?" Sage finally asked, craning his head to look upon her.

"Oh, yes," she breathed, nodding against his chest. She nuzzled her nose against the base of his neck and sighed contently. Fingers traced lazy circles on his abdomen while his arms served as her warmth against the slight chill of the breeze. The sun peeked through the branches above, but not nearly enough to protect them from the shaded wind.

"Syara."

Hearing her name spoken with an urgent whisper, she lifted her head, staring up at him in question. "What is it?"

"I hope you know that because we've shared this intimacy, this isn't the end. We're going to defeat Talpa, and you will have your freedom. I'll make sure of it," Sage vowed. He threaded his fingers through her hair, moving rogue tendrils from her eyes. "And then we can spend more time like this, when it feels as if nothing in the world can touch either one of us."

She never doubted his intentions, but as she lay naked and fully satisfied within his arms, she had no reason to believe it was a completely palpable possibility. Just as sure as the sun fell behind the trees and rose again the following day, Talpa's end was close at hand, and she could look forward to more passionate moments between her and the man she loved, the man who vowed to keep her safe from the darkness.

Somehow she knew that Talpa had a tough fight coming his way, and she would deliver it full-force, if only to spend one more day like this within Sage's arms. The thought was pure rapture enough, and all doubt she previously had was a fleeting memory, one replaced by the soothing waterfall, the protective wall of trees, and the watchful sun above.


End file.
